Valve unit



March 21, 1950 Filed Feb. 8, 1947 flu NNUU

A///// xg/ A. G. GURRlEs VALVE UNIT 2 Sheetsheet 2 IIII N'ITOR E, G. Guzraes ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 21, 1950 U N ITE D: STAT ES OFF-ICE VALVE UNfITr Albert GL Gurries, Santa 4Clara,(lalif;I

Application February 8, 1947;' Serial-N0t72799 1 Claim. 1 The. present invention is directed to, andiitis anobject to provide anovel valve unit adapted foruse fina iiuid pressure: system, especially hydraulic, as used for example, on certain earthk working and, construction; equipment, wherein uid pressure actuatedpower cylinders, included in the system and controlled by the valve unit, operate the workingparts of-such equipment` Another objectof the invention is to provide a .control valve unit, for the purpose described, which is designed for ease andeconomy-ofmanufacture and assembly; together withlong operan tive life with a minimum of.- maintenance or repair..

Aiurther objectofthe invention isto provide a valve unit, ,as above, whichfisfof piston or sliding;

plugtype; the plug valve being tubular and rotatably. mounted on a-control lrod b-y'means of which the plug valve is shiftedaxially to selective operative positions. The rotary mountingof the plug valve assures of uniform circumferential wear, asv the valve is free yto turn in ther'supporting bores as it is work-ed back and forth, and internal pressure loss in` the valve unit is thus minimized.l Non-rotary plug valves `develop longitudinal wear linesor-.scores which tend toperm-it leakage and reduce efficiency.

An additional object of the. invention is to pro vide a valve unit, for a hydraulic pressure system, Which'includes a safety or pressure relief Valve assembly of novel construction.-

A further object of the :invention is to provide a practical and convenientvalve unit,A and. one.' which will be exceedingly effective for the purposef forwhich itisdesigned.

These objects are accomplishedby means of' such structure and relativearrangement ofV parts: as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowingv specification and claim.

In the drawings: Fig. l is a sectional elevation' ofthe invention asv embodied in a dual valve assembly.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line.2-'2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3 3 of Fig. l. Referring-now more particularly toV the characters of .reference on the drawings, the valveunitv comprises f(iv-housing! formed-,at oppositeends; with" attachment flanges 2 vands by meanszof4 which the unit is interposed in the fluid pressuresystem; said housing including, a central `L feedi.

passage il extending therethrough from end to end and adapted to carry high pressure fluid from a source (not shown), the uid entering said central passage 4 from the end adjacent ange 2.

On opposite sides of, and spaced from the centra-1 passage;l Ii; `the:v housing isformed with fluid,v return passagesv5= and yIi:w'hiatlfi Aextend fromendrto: end ofisaidhousing Inthe-.presentY embodiment the-:valve unitin.- cludes. dual valve assemblies,` asf shown; and: as 1 these assembliesfar'e; duplicates; a description of'. one willsuiceior bothiparticularly yas* each bears-- the-same.' relationship :to rthefpassages f4; 5, and` tt' Each valve-assembly comprisesy anelongatedA plug avalv'e; indicated generally at l; whichv extendsv transverse-lyy ofth'efhousing `I andfincl'udes spaced, enlarged pistons 8'; andi 9:? which: sl-idably engagea witha closerftinl'alined bores I Ucand; I I respec.; tively;y in. thev partitions.: I2. between the.: central. feed f passage 4 and. the iluidrreturnzpassagesf 5: and:

Within each bore-:I fand .I I; the :sam'e'is formed" with a.uidrreceivingrchannelrI 3 which surrounds-f the corresponding piston 8 or 9 and communicates with i as tapped; tubular: boss idf proj ectingflater.- ally from the-housinglononeifacethereof; the.y bosses', I Alfbeing :adapted-to couplet tothe conduits." (not: shown-V which leaol';l to thew iiuid. pressure actuated :powerxcylinderssofL theximplernent. 'Ihe myth-e normalposition vof' the pl-ug valve 'l5 asvv in. Fig; l, said'ipist'ons-close;` the. channels L` I3 Intermediate the; partitionsi 121' and; ahead off the; plug valve f l; the" feedipassageforks.'into'legs.' I 5: separated :from fthe; following: portion; of said?. passage-by transverselyi'spaced:partitions IG; the; latter having ports I'I andi ialinedwith the bores I 0f and; Il; through?,wl'iicirthey plug valve extends:tin;normally?clearancelrelation .to permit of pressure How in the passage i through saidports 1 I 7l :and .I 8E? Between the.y ports?, I v11 an'd` ISIS the "plugvalvev l". is fforinejd iwth zanenlarged; but'l relativelyl narrow' closure collar. |92 adapteditolcloseewithvport I'Iy orii 8luponis1ding'oithevalve ATin la correspond ingfdirection;

Thefnplugvalvei'l isi tubular andzacontrol rod l ZUIeXtend's therethrough fromendto end thevalve thus being rotative on the rod-but held* againstA relative axial displacement by retaining-rings' `2 I and 22atoppositeencls 'of said valve. The rod 20 project'sfrom' the plug valve 'i'acrossL passage and then'ce'- slidably extends through a packing gland'ZSin'a'removable guide cap 24 onV the housing. A't theend opposite each cap 24',- the 'housing includes a 'removable' access "plate 25. The free end of rod 20 is fitted with a connector 26 for connection with a manual control lever or the like.

The rod 20, and the plug valve 'I thereon, are

yieldably maintained in a normal position with the latter closed, by a spring unit including a compression spring 21 carried by end collars 28 on rod 20 between ring 2|, and another ring 29 fixed on the rod at the end of said spring opposite the plug valve. The collars bear on fixed parts of the adjacent partition I2 and cap 24. With this arrangement, the rod can be shifted in one direction or the other, but returns to normal position when released. A stop ring 30 on the rod between collars 28 limits movement of the rod 2U, in either direction, to a predetermined distance.

Shifting of the rod 20 and attached plug valve 1 in one direction or the other causes one of the tapped bosses I4 to be placed in communication with the feed passage 4, and the other boss I4 to be placed in communication with the corresponding fluid return passage 5 or 6. This occurs for the reason that one of the pistons 8 or 9 shifts in a direction laterally away from passage 4 suincient to permit of communication between the corresponding channel I3 and the adjacent leg I5 of said passage 4. At the same time, the ports I1 and I8 are closed by closure collar I9 and the inner end of the other of said pistons 8 or 9; said other piston then being shifted to a position to establish communication of its corresponding channel I3 and boss I4 with the adjacent fluid return passage 5 or 6. In this manner, one of the bosses I4 can be individually and selectively connected to the fluid pressure source, with the other boss I4 then automatically connected to the corresponding fluid return passage. This arrangement is useful, for example, for operating a double-acting power cylinder; opposite ends of the same being connected in communication with separate ones of the pair of bosses I4.

As the plug valve 1 is tubular and turnably mounted on the rod 2U, said plug valve, as, it is worked back and forth during normal operation of the valve unit, can rotate about said rod, which assures of even wear of the plug valve relative to the bores Iii and II. By reason of this arrangement the plug valve 1 will not remain in any given rotative position, which might result in 1ongitudinal wear lines or scoring, with resultant internal pressure leakage in the valve unit. Further, each valve assembly, as described provides for ease and economy of manufacture, together with facility of assembly.

Another feature of the invention resides in the particular form of relief valve, which comprises the following:

A tubular boss 3l projects from the same face of the housing I as the bosses I4, and in alinement with the intake end portion of the pressure fluid feed passage 4. A bore 32 extends from the forward passage 4, through the housing, into initial communication with the tubular boss; there being a lateral, relief or outlet passage 33 leading from the interior of the boss 3| adjacent its inner end.

A poppet relief valve is associated with the bore 32 and comprises a tubular stem 34 engaged in said bore with a close running nt, and formed, at its outer end, with an enlarged circular head 35, which serves as a stop to limit sliding movement of the stem 34 inwardly toward the passage 4. The stem 34 includes a laterally opening port 36 intermediate its ends, which port is normally closed by engagement of the stem 34 in the bore 32. A heavy-duty, normally substantially unloaded compression spring 31 engages between the head 35 and a closure 38 threaded into the outer end of the tubular box 3|; said spring being held in place by locating pins, as shown. The spring 31 normally maintains the above described relief valve in closed position. However, upon occurrence of predetermined excessive pressure in the feed passage 4 the stem 34 is shifted by said pressure, against the spring 31, until the laterally opening port 36 communicates with the relief passage 33, whereupon the excessive pressure is relieved. After relief of the excessive pressure the spring 31 returns the relief valve to its normally closed position. In use of the valve the relief passage 33 is connected in communication, by suitable passage means, with the reservoir of the fluid pressure system.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specication sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

In a control valve for a fluid pressure system, which valve comprises a housing having separate fluid passages divided by a partition wall provided with a bore connecting the passageways, an outlet fitting formed on the housing and having a channel in communication with the bore, a plug valve normally closing the bore, said Valve comprising a tubular member mounted with a sliding lit in the bore, a control rod mounted for longitudinal sliding movement through the side of the housing, said rod projecting through the tubular member, the latter being mounted axially immovable relative to but turnable on the rod, a pair of spaced apart collars loosely mounted on the rod, a compression spring interposed between the collars, one collar being normally held by the spring in contact with one end of the plug valve and the adjacent portion of the partition wall, the other collar being normally held by the spring in contact with an outer wall of the housing, and a stop ring ixed on the rod intermediate the collars and effective to limit the longitudinal movement of the rod in either direction through engagement with one or the other of said collars, respectively.

ALBERT G. GURRIES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,643,753 Slattery Sept. 27, 1929 2,206,356 Hutchings July 2, 1940 2,214,799 Sharp Sept. 17, 1940 2,247,141 Twyman June 24, 1941 

